Remote control assemblies for transmitting motion in a curved path are used in automotive, aircraft and marine applications to mechanically control or manipulate such devices as throttles, transmissions, vents, cruise controls, steering elements and the like from a remote or distant location. In general, these assemblies include a flexible tubular conduit which supports a sliding flexible motion transmitting core element. Usually two fittings are secured to the conduit, one at each end, for attaching the conduit to a frame or other fixed structure in a tortiously routed path between the controlling and controlled members. The tortious routing is required to avoid engines, hot exhaust pipes, moving components, walkways and the like. In many applications, the conduit must further be attached at one or more intermediate locations along its length to the fixed supporting structure so that it will remain in the routed path.
For this purpose, the prior art teaches both end and intermediate retainers of various forms which attach to the conduit and which include some form of anchor device for securing to a fixed supporting structure. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,515 to Webb, issued Jan. 29, 1980 and assigned to the assignee of the subject invention, along with U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,092 to Seckerson, issued Dec. 4, 1973, disclose retainers for motion transmitting remote control assemblies. Each of these prior art retainers include a connector attached to the conduit, along with a push-in style anchor forced into in a formed aperture in a supporting sheet metal structure.
While these prior art end and intermediate retainers perform satisfactorily, they possess certain inherent disadvantages. For example, the anchor portion of the retainers require an aperture to be formed in an existing sheet metal portion or a bracket of the fixed supporting structure. In the example of an automotive engine compartment, the aperture must be formed in a hole in either the fire wall or a fender or a dedicated bracket or the like. Such holes in the sheet metal are generally disfavored as requiring additional labor in forming the hole as well as a coordinated effort between the stamping die manufactures for the sheet metal components and the motion transmitting remote control assembly manufacturers for the retainer component. Also, dedicated brackets significantly increase costs.
An alternative prior art intermediate retainer is disclosed in British Patent Specification No. 792,266, published Mar. 26, 1958. This reference discloses a T-shaped intermediate retainer having a split sleeve for receiving a conduit or the like, and a threaded socket which is screwed onto any convenient extending threaded shaft. The advantage of this design is that, particularly in automotive engine compartment environments, threaded shafts can be found at numerous convenient positions within the engine compartment. The primary disadvantages of this design, however, are that the socket portion must be manually threaded onto the threaded shaft which is a time consuming operation and conducive to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in the installer. Furthermore, the split sleeve for retaining the conduit, which is required because the socket is threaded onto the extending shaft prior to insertion of the conduit within the sleeve, necessitates use of a flexible and resilient material to receive the conduit through the slit. This means that the sleeve material is relatively soft and can permit the conduit to become detached during operation. Additionally, because the intermediate retainer is disconnected from the conduit while it is threaded onto the extending shaft, it can be dropped or lost by the installer, thereby contributing to further time consumption and frustration.